On a Personal Note: Reality TV, 1940's Style.

I've been watching 1940s House, the 2001 BBC series in which a family recreates the living conditions during war time Britain. It's a really excellent show; I find the British versions of the "House" shows to be much more fascinating. They cast people with a sincere interest in history, and I think it makes for a better show than the American version, which leans more towards reality tv and drama drama drama.

The shows also features several appearances by Marguerite Patten, and a focus on rationing and food prep in the '40s. The show is well worth adding to your Netflix que.

On Wednesday, I baked three more loaves of sourdough bread. I still don't quite have my technique mastered, but I'm getting close. It let it rise longer, and I baked two loaves at 450 with the lid on for 20 minutes, and the lid off for 30 minutes. I also tried using a loaf pan, instead of the Pyrex casserole I have been using. It was still dense--I think I'm going to have problems getting the bread to rise until my steam heat gets turned in. My apartment is chilly is the fall. Additionally, the bread tasted more like a classic sourdough than the cheesy bread I made last week. It's from the same starter, so I don't get. I guess when you're cooking and eating living animals, their always going to be some variation.

The prettiest loaf of them all will be traveling with me to our nation's capital, where I'm visiting my friend Bryan this weekend. We're going on a historic food adventure which includes a trip to the cafe at the Museum of the American Indian and a visit to George Washington's distillery. More on that next week.